Deja Vu of a Saiyan Past
by Angelfish369
Summary: The saiyan race, newly revived, has grown inconceivably powerful and obtained a new ruler. The enemy wants control over all the saiyans-every single last one...
1. An Unexpected Sight

A/N: This is my first dbz story, so please be nice.  I suppose it takes place after the Buu 

         saga.  Goku is living peacefully on Earth with his family and Gohan is becoming         

         pretty good friends with Videl.  Goten is still seven years old.  I never actually 

         watched the end of Buu saga, so if the time placement is inappropriate, please let 

         me know.

Disclaimer: Dragonball Z and its characters are not my property and I am making no 

                   money off this fic, blah blah blah…

**An Unexpected Sight**

            "Hey ChiChi," said Goku, taking off.  "I am going off for a while to visit some old buddies.  I'll see ya later!"

            "Oh, I'm just so glad everything's back to normal again.  Now my Gohan can finally focus on being a scholar and Goten will have a father figure," ChiChi said to herself as Goten walked into the kitchen, groggily rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes.

            "Mom," he asked, "where is everyone off to at this early hour?"

            "Honey," ChiChi replied, "you know that Gohan is off to school already, and your father is off on some personal business."

            "But mom," Goten protested lightly, "it's not fair that everyone leaves me behind all the time!"

            "Calm down, Goten, and eat your breakfast.  Perhaps you'll catch your dad tomorrow, if you're lucky." ChiChi responded.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "It's such a nice day out today!" Goku said with a stretch and lied down on the grass.  He had landed on an open field in the middle of nowhere, just beside a wooded area.  "I'm sure glad to be back on Earth and alive again.  I missed just relaxing and not having to worry about anything."  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            The dismissal bell for school had just rang, and Gohan and Videl are flying off towards Gohan's house.  In the past month, ChiChi had taken a liking in Videl and had invited her over for dinner.

"So," Gohan started, "have you chosen a partner for that biology project yet?"

            "Well no," Videl replied with a blush.  "I was actually wondering if you'd like to work with me."  Gohan's face lit up immediately like a candle.

            "Sure!" he chirped.  "We can start today."  Inside he was thinking 'this is too good to be true!'  Suddenly he sensed something very unusual.  "Hey Videl, I just sensed a power level rapidly dropping.  Let's go check it out."

            It really is unusual, Gohan thought.  He sensed an extraordinary power level that only a Z fighter can possibly possess.  But none of his friends live way out here, and he is still quite a ways from home!  In fact, all he can see below him are trees, trees, and more trees.  And a tiny green patch which appeared to be open grassland.  If he is not mistaken, that is where he sensed the power level, which has drastically dropped to being almost non-existent.

            "This way," Gohan directed, and descended in haste towards the wooded area, with Videl close on his heels.  As Videl scanned the area carefully with her eyes, she saw something that made her breath got caught in her throat.

            "Gohan," she managed to squeak out, "look."  With that she feebly pointed towards the figure she saw.  No, her weak stomach was not prepared to see such a disgusting sight.  It sure would be nice to just get out of there and wipe the image from her head, which is now stuck in her memory like a screwed-in picture frame.  She forced herself to look again and suddenly recognized the figure's face.  

            Gohan turned towards the direction which Videl is pointing at.  His mouth formed a silent gasp and he stopped breathing completely, blood running cold in his veins.  His eyes are glued to the figure.  He can't force his eyes away no matter how hard he tried.  The sight had hit him like a powerful blow to the stomach, and more.  Finally, he whispered, "Dad?", with uncertainty and fear heard conspicuously in his voice.

            Gohan took a few cautious steps towards his father.  His dad's orange clothes were torn and shredded and his entire self is drenched in blood.  His own blood, considering his body is covered with visible cuts and gashes.  Goku's eyes are tightly shut and his face had an agonizing expression.  His body shook with each shallow, shaky breath.  What happened to him? Gohan wondered, trembling.  No one on Earth is strong enough to beat his dad within an inch of life.  No one is…

A/N: How was that?  This is my first dbz fanfic, so please review.  I can really use the 

         encouragement and criticism.  Review!!! 

Thanks for reading,

                        Angelfish ^-^      


	2. Stay With Me, Father

Disclaimer: I here sadly declare that Dragonball Z is not my property.  Sure would be 

                   nice if it is.

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed!  You won't believe how much they 

         meant to me.  Sorry if Chapter 2 took so long to upload.  I do have my reasons 

         though:

1. We are currently studying Shakespeare's work in class.  I started to form stories in Shakespearean style, meaning all dialogue, actions in brackets, enters and exits, and sophisticated run-on sentences who made no sense to me whatsoever.

2. I am a total grammar freak.  Mine you, my grammar is not all that great, but I try my best.

         I've blabbered enough unwanted information.  Let's move on and read what you 

         came here for.

Stay With Me, Father 

            The scene was silent.  If not for the howling wind, Gohan and Videl's rapidly pounding hearts would clearly be heard.  Having no sound, neither was there any motion, except for Goku's furious attempts to inhale air into his lungs.  Bravely Gohan stepped yet even closer to his father's battered figure and knelt down.  The gruesome sight had sent a shiver down his spine and paled his face.

            Gohan's eyes, previously fixed on his father's tormented expression, now wandered all over his tattered body.  'How much blood can a person lose before they die?' Gohan wondered anxiously.  Whatever the percentage is, his brain has malfunctioned due to the panic caused by this new idea dawning upon him.  He was so terrified of losing his father again.

            Fear has caused Videl to be more nervous than usual, and she scanned her surroundings curiously, yet frightfully.  She knew that her companion is rather upset over the possibility of losing one he loves, but found no comforting words to soothe his anxiety.  A purplish object in the distance caught her eyes suddenly.  Slowly she approached the object, with Gohan taking no notice in her departure.

            Losing distance with the peculiar object, Videl saw that it is in fact a dinosaur, bluish-purple and medium-sized.  The odd thing is that this creature wears the same expression of pain as Goku's, and its body is covered in cuts as well.  Videl's worries began to double.  It's not like she'd ever made friends with a non-humanoid creature before, but for some reason her instincts are telling her to heal this dinosaur.  Clueless as to how, she decided against calling for Gohan.  No, he certainly does not need to be disturbed at this moment.  Surprising, it was Gohan's voice that broke through her thoughts suddenly.

            "Videl, where are you?" Gohan's voice sounded unnaturally high with evident nervousness.  The sudden disappearance of his friend had added to his worries.

            "I'm over here," Videl quickly replied, fearful that Gohan might lose his mind.  He promptly ran over to where she stood, and looked the injured dinosaur over.

            "He's coming home with us," Gohan began in a hoarse whisper.  "…Can't survive out here all alone…Hate to see another creature go…"  At his ending fragment,

Videl's worries stirred up all over again.  Could Goku possibly be…

            Gohan caught on to her reaction to his words immediately.  "No no," he stammered.  "Dad's close, but not quite done yet."  

Videl signed with relieve at his reassurance.  "Let's go," she suggested, and lifted up the whimpering dinosaur's gigantic tail.  Gohan placed its body on his back, then flew over to where his father lies with Videl supporting the dinosaur's tail.  He carefully picked up Goku, and swiftly took off.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Goten sat outside his house on a big rock he found in a nearby cave.  He was bored, bored, bored.  There's nothing to do.  His daddy departs at the crack of dawn each morning to who knows where, while Gohan is off to school at the same early hour.  His mommy occasionally keeps Goten company by sparring playfully with him, but then retreats inside to clean or prepare meals.  "Perhaps I should get Daddy for Gohan to teach me to meditate.  At least then I'll have a pastime activity," he mumbled softly to himself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The foursome were suspending in mid-air, trying to figure out which way is home, when Goku began to stir.  Gohan looked down at the person he carried in his arms.  Goku's eyes seemed to be staring right at him, but not seeing him.  Gohan felt chilled at the way his dad's eyes looked: dull with the lightening dollops of shine completely wore away and replaced by pain.  They were absolutely lifeless, boring into everything as if invisible.  His only wish is that Goku's physical self and his soul is really not as empty as his eyes resembled.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Goten looked on to the sky as something came his way.  It was his brother and Videl!  Excellent.  They somehow always manage to keep him occupied.  Today, though, something doesn't appear right.  As the flying duo approached closer, Goten noticed that his daddy, severely injured, is being carried along with a gigantic (compared to Goten) sleeping purplish dinosaur.  A worried expression is etched across Gohan's face.  Something must be really wrong, and he is quite curious as to what.  Unfortunately, this seems like one of those moments when you're suppose to "leave matters up to the grown-ups", therefore he remained silent.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hang on Dad," whispered Gohan gently.  "We're almost home.  Stay with me, Father."

A/N: What did you think of that?  I know this is coming along slowly, but school is a 

         busy place.  Anyway, please review!  Also, please give me some suggestions as to 

        what to name the dinosaur.  Thanks!

Angelfish ^-^


	3. Demise of Eyes

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z.  No duh.

A/N: Nothing to say.  Just read. ^O^

Demise of Eyes 

            It was rather confusing, thought Goku, as he slowly came to.  At first he had felt quite calm with the wind gently brushing across his face, and then the wind suddenly started to whip him, bringing upon the realization of how many cuts he is bearing, as well as the terrible pain which clouded his vision.

            Not only was his vision blurred, but also his mind seems to have a memory blockage.  Glimpses of memory flashed through his mind momentarily.  He remembered a beautiful place with trees, a large pair of adoring eyes, and lastly a pair of dark, unruly eyes accompanied by an evil smirk.  'What had happened?', he continued to ponder as the pain eat away at his entire body.  Then the powerful wind disappeared abruptly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Mom!" Gohan yelled as he darted into his house, almost crashing through the door had Videl not opened it in time.  He had caught sight of Goten sitting nearby, but ignored him completely due to a critical matter at hand.  He carefully laid Goku on the couch and the dinosaur nearby on the floor.  

            Chi-Chi walked into the living room.  "Gohan, what's wro…"  An unreadable expression took over her face as she stepped closer, staring at the injured man and dinosaur.  Suddenly feeling very nervous, Chi-Chi began twisting her apron sub-consciously.

            "I found them in the woods," said Gohan in a strong voice, hiding the hysterical fear which had built up in his heart during the last few minutes. 

            "Oh my," Chi-Chi whispered and lightly stroke her hand on her husband's perspire-covered face.  As if realizing something out of the blue, she rushed to retrieve the first-aid kit.  When she returned, Chi-Chi worked at stopping the gush of blood by applying pressure on Goku's wounds.  She figured that as long as no more harm is done, Goku should recover within a couple of days.  Saiyins seem to have every advantage physically.

            As Chi-Chi continued to fix Goku's wounds, Gohan and Videl examined the dinosaur's.  It gave a slight whimper at every touch and bleed in large amounts.  Most of its injuries are visible on its large wings.

            Goku groaned when he felt a disinfectant medicine sting his wounds.  At this Chi-Chi signed with relieve.  Now she can be positively certain that the man is still alive.  Slowly Goku forced his eyes open, blinking to adjust to the brightness of this room compared to the darkness behind his closed eyelids.  Waves of pain coursed through his nervous system, accompanied by trails of blood trickling down the side of his head.  Goku ignored both and pretended nothing is wrong, attempting to minimize his wife's worries.

            Another memory flashed through Goku's head, one concerning the pair of adoring eyes.  Quickly he turned his head left, his anxious eyes colliding with those of the pained dinosaur's ones.  In one swift moment Goku leapt out of the couch and knelt beside his fallen friend on the bloodstained floor.  

            "Stay strong, Eyes," Goku encouraged, his own pain forgotten.  But the dinosaur's giant, tormented eyes filled with tears which slowly dribbled down its cheeks.  It gave a tiny croak, as if to bid farewell, and peacefully shut its eyes forever.

            "No, Eyes," moaned Goku, "no…"  Tears formed in his eyes and threatened to fall, but he would not allow that.  "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" he screamed with anguish and rage.  A golden aura began to engulf him like a flame, as his hair turned the same shade and his onyx eyes became a furious green.  His spiky hair continued to grow longer, down his back, and suddenly resumed its original short black.  His eyes closed in wary as the saiyin collapsed, worn out from the day's unhappy events.  He had drained his energy level dangerously low.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Goku carried his fallen friend Eyes out to the burial site Gohan had created in the same woods where it was found.  With a prolonging look, Goku proceeded with the burial and gently placed the lifeless body into the hole.  He packed it down with dirt, turned around, and flew home.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Although the saiyin had made an amazing recovery in just one day, everyone was quite aware of his depressing mood.  None of his family members made any attempt to even talk to him, for a glint is apparent in his usually friendly eyes that resembles Vegeta's "I'll blast you all" look.  Still not exactly sure of the problem, Goten was bold enough to interrogate his Daddy of his gloomy mood.

            Goku was sitting on the couch in a rather tense position, staring off into space, when he was suddenly jumped on by Goten.  He gave a little yelp in surprise.  The little guy had broken him out of his trance-like state.  Hearing the ever-so-silent Goku make a sound, Chi-Chi and Gohan rushed into the living room to check out what's wrong.  They feared for Goten's life as the man just sat there motionless, keeping a steady gaze on his younger son.  And then he shifted his gaze towards his wife and older son.  Suddenly that sorrowful look, as if fighting against the tears threatening to shed, returned to his face.  "I'm sorry," he mumbled with an almost inaudible volume.

            Goten gave his Daddy a hug.  He knew that something is terribly wrong, for he has never seen his father in this state before.  Goku returned the hug briefly.

            "When my grandfather died, Eyes was all I had," Goku began.  "We used to be inseparable.  When Bulma came along I promised Eyes that we'd meet again some day."  He stared at the ceiling, trying to avoid the pairs of sympathetic eyes.  It's hard enough as it is trying not to cry.  He continued with his explanation, "That day when I went to the woods was to visit Eyes.  It's the same woods where Grandpa brought me up.  Our reunion was interrupted when Radditz appeared suddenly."

            At this Gohan gasped.  He could still remember that horrible fear of being trapped in a space pod when his Dad was literally getting beaten to death just meters away.  He gave a slight shiver at the unpleasant memory.

            "I don't know how, but his energy level was sky-rocketing.  I also sensed a evil power lurking within him, one similar to Freiza's." Goku paused, letting the information sink in, then resumed.  "Even in my SSJ 3 form, I was no match for Radditz.  About that time Eyes decided to step in.  He blocked every blow sent in my direction and saved my life.  Radditz returned to his space pod soon after Eyes was severely beaten."  With that last sentence, Goku got up and went to the bedroom he shares with Chi-Chi.  He can absolutely **_not _**stand another moment in front of those kind faces.

            However, there is something he refused to share with his family.  Radditz had sent a powerful blow to his head.  A few memories of his saiyin past and mission have begun to return.

A/N: Is this story getting boring?  Personally, I think this chapter wasn't all that bad.  At least something happened!  I can't stress this enough: **PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!**

Angelfish ^-^ 


	4. The Beginning Knowledge

A/N: Hey I'm back!!!

Disclaimer: I'm tired of repeating myself.  Figure it out for yourself.  *grumbles*

**The Beginning Knowledge**

            "Kakarot!" a figure well hidden in the shadows yelled.  "You have failed your mission terribly!  You do not have the right to be part of the prestigious saiyin race!"

            "Forgive me Sire!" Kakarot pleaded pitifully, kneeling on the ground.  "I will not fail you again!"

            "No!" came his Sire's strong voice.  "You have failed me once, signifying that you will forever be a failure!  Now scram!!!  I feel no pity for such a pathetic little creature.  Stay out of my sight forever!!!!!!"  With that he turned around abruptly, his long, gallant robe whipping around and brushing the floor along with his departure.

            "No Sire!  Forgive me!!!!!!" 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Goku jolted up in bed into a sitting position, breathing hard.  He was trembling uncontrollably and covered in cold sweat.  Eyes wide, he once again tried to push the horrible dream from his head, the same one haunting him every night, replaying over and over again since the return of his saiyin brother.

            Knowing that this dream has something to do with his mission as a baby, Goku constantly tried to shut it from his memory.  What if he remembers so well that he proceeds with it?  From what he knew, Gotenks would be the only fighter who might stand a chance if he attacks.  Goku truly does not want to be responsible for destroying the planet, his home, which he had been the life-long protector of.

            Slowly the saiyin was able to brush the thought aside.  He got up from bed as quietly as possible, hoping not to wake anyone.  Does his family and friends sense anything different about him?  They might know about his forgotten "mission", but would they find out that it's not so forgotten anymore?  In fact, a little voice in his head belonging to Kakarot is willing him to progress with the assignment, fearing the severity of his awaiting punishment.  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            It was another friends' reunion at Master Roshi's.  Everyone seems very enthusiastic about catching up on each other's lives and telling interesting stories of what they did during the past year.  All except for Goku.  It's not like this group of people are strangers or anything.  They are his best friends.  Yet he couldn't bring himself to tell anyone of the images that have begun to file in his mind.  It's almost as if he doesn't trust his family and friends anymore.  Doubts occupied his mind whenever he considered telling someone of what he now knows.

            "Hey buddy, long time no see," Krillen chirped and patted him on the shoulder.  Intuitively Goku moved away from his touch.  Then he realized what he had just done.  He had backed away from his best friend.  There was a long moment when Goku and Krillen stared at each other without making a sound.  Goku could feel his long-time friend's apprehension and braced himself for the long list of questions to follow.      

            "You okay Goku?" Krillen asked as concern settled in his eyes.  For some reason his best friend seems really jumpy today.  He also realized that Goku had detached himself from everyone else since he arrived.  "You can tell me."

            "Thanks for the offer Krillen," Goku answered, "but I'm fine."  He forced a smile upon his lips, but knew that it was too fake to fool anyone, much less his very best friend.

            Krillen, as Goku predicted, didn't believe him for a second.  "I know that something's not right, Goku, and I'm going to make you spit it all out if it's the last thing I do."

            There was, it seems, and incredible dark force fighting against Goku's friendly persona suddenly.  He knew, right then, that his saiyin blood has returned.  As if by instinct, he picked up Krillen by the collar.  With his free hand, he powered up an energy blast.  "I will honour your wishes," whispered Goku with a sinister smirk.  "May that be the last thing you do."

            A hush fell over the entire room abruptly as everyone stared at the blinding ball of light and the creator of it.  Internally, Goku fought desperately as he tried not to kill his best friend.  Slowly the good side took over and he dissipated the fatal ball of energy.  Even more carefully, he gently set down his victim, shame, guilt, and a silent apology found in his eyes.

            As if only apparent to his own eyes, the Sire in his nightmares appeared in front of him, still as mysterious as ever.  "You have failed, Kakarot.  You have failed."  With those ominously whispered words, the figure disappeared.  Goku could feel a sharp jolt of pain all of a sudden.  As the unbearable white-hot pain coursed throught his body, invading every vein, Goku unleashed a sharp yelp, not even attempting to bit back the scream.  Something bad is happening to him, he knew.  Something very bad.

A/N: Oh please review!!!!!!  Pretty please with a cherry on top?  As well as chocolate hot fudge and sprinkles!!!  Take your pick.

^-^ Angelfish (now with 369) Don't mind me, I just like to play around with my pen name.  


	5. Renewal of Faith

A/N: Thank you for all your kind reviews.  *curtseys politely* 

Disclaimer: No I do not own DBZ.  Am still negotiating over the rights and contracts and who-knows-what-else.  Or at least wish I were. 

Renewal of Faith 

            The pain subsided for a brief moment, and Goku used that precious opportunity to create distance between himself and his friends.  Who knows when he would strike next, or to whom.  The thought of killing his closest ones sickened him, so he flew right out the window in a hurry, leaving behind a trail of ki.

            After a short while, Goku dropped from the sky like a stone and landed hard on an isolated island below.  He lied there convulsing as the agonizing pain returned and continued to eat at him.  A long while passed as he tried to clear his mind of all the events that happened so suddenly.  Goku never realized before, but figuring out who he is, who he is supposed to be, and who he has became is a difficult task.

            Slowly the pain diminished and Goku sat up.  What should he do now?  If he returns to Master Roshi's, he'll have a whole lot of explaining to do.  Also, Krillen might not dare speak to him ever again.  Man, it sure sucks to be stuck in the middle of nowhere, all by himself, in a totally confusing situation.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Everyone stared after the departing figure and the remaining trail of ki.  Even those you'll never expect attended this reunion.  Vegeta was threatened by Bulma, and Piccolo decided to show after much convincing from Gohan and puppy-dog eyes from Goten.  At first it'd seemed like a waste of time, but suddenly things are actually getting interesting.  Those two are no longer sorry that they'd joined in the gathering.

            There was something very familiar about Kakarot's actions, Vegeta observed.  It's almost as if he'd seen others reacted the same way, but whom he can't quite recall.  Then it hit him.  Of course!  He was truly Kakarot when he attacked Krillen back there, not just the Goku he calls Kakarot.  Curious as to why the saiyin personality had return, Vegeta followed the trial Kakarot left behind.  Afterall, he is one of the good guys now.  If Kakarot proceeds with his mission, the sacrifice he'd once made for planet Earth would have been in vain.

            Now everyone averted their attention to the remaining full saiyin, who is currently exiting through the wide-open window.  Still recovering from the last surprise, nobody made any attempt to stop or question Vegeta.  Might as well have it that way and not border the saiyin prince.

            Android 18 recovered first.  She rushed over to Krillen's side immediately.  "Are you okay?  I thought Goku is suppose to be your best friend," she stated.  Krillen slowly got up, holding his head.  Boy, it sure is funny how quickly you can develop a headache.

After the long stunned silence, everyone began talking all at once about what just happened.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Goku could sense an energy quickly approaching, but was astonished that Vegeta, out of all people, have decided to chase after him.  But then again, he is probably the only one who recognized Goku's previous behaviours as a typical saiyin's.  

            Vegeta landed in front of his fellow saiyin and crossed his arms.  "Who are you?" he demanded harshly.  

            A little taken back by Vegeta's question, Goku realized that this is probably a wonderful time to reveal his knowledge.  "Vegeta, Kakarot is trying to take control of my whole being.  I got my memory back one day when Radditz showed up."  He kept his eyes on the ground, not wanting to see the prince's displeased expression.

            "You can explain to everyone at once, Kakarot," Vegeta suggested.  When Goku suddenly looked up and shot him an expression of horror, Vegeta became speechless.  'What the heck is up with this idiot today?'  Then he smirked.  "Don't tell me the legendary Son Goku is afraid to face his friends."  This time Goku gave him a helpless look.  "Coward," Vegeta hissed tauntingly.

            How should Goku react to that?  He stood up immediately and said firmly, "No I'm not."  Then he flew off in the direction he came from.  Vegeta smirked again and followed suit.  Kakarot sure possess at least as much pride as he'd assumed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            The two saiyins arrived and soared through the still opened windows.  Krillen swallowed hard and jumped back, far away from the fearsome saiyan warriors, especially Goku.  Goten backed up as well and hid behind Gohan and Chi-Chi.  His daddy's little act might have agitated everyone else, but it had completely freaked out Goten.

            Goku looked at the petrified expressions on his friends' and family's faces.  It's pretty much what he'd expected.  At least no one is running, which is a good sign.  Not yet, Goku reminded himself.  But if he keeps this up, they sure will, no doubt.  Goku stepped forward, suddenly getting very nervous.  "I am very sorry about earlier," he apologized, unsure where this explaination is heading.  He looked at Krillen, whose eyes are silently begging him to not take another step forward, and grimaced.  This situation is even worse than he originally thought, and will take a lot to repair.

            Leaning against the far wall to stay away from Krillen, Goku sighed.  He should have known that the day in which he has to reveal the truth would come.  It's now or never.  He told a deep breath and began.

            "As most of you probably heard, Radditz, my saiyan brother, was somehow revived and attacked me and a friend the other day.  Unfortunately my friend died, but I was lucky enough to survive…" Goku trailed off there, once again washed over with the urge to shed tears.  But of course, he was able to fight them back.  He stared at the floor, unable to meet anyone's eyes, and continued.  "I received a blow to my head, and that day the memories of my past commenced its return.  Ever since then, Kakarot, the saiyan side of me, have been fighting for control."  Finally he gathered the courage to look up, and was extremely relieved to find forgiveness in the others' eyes.  Even sympathy in some.  Still, fear was very evident, especially in Krillen's eyes.

Goku is awfully tired of telling stories of depressing events that happened.  He'd always been the forgive-and-forget type.  It's just not his style to let an event linger in his mind for so long.  That's when he came to a conclusion.  Maybe these disheartening events weren't lingering in his mind, but rather in his emotions.  Afterall, Goku is no typical saiyin.  In fact, he can even be considered someone with a saiyin mind but a human heart.  At least, that is until Kakarot decided to stir up trouble.

"Hey, sorry for ruining everything."  Goku finished softly and walked to the door.  He should go, and he did just that.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            It was hours later when someone opened the front door to the Son residence.  Goku was slouching over on the couch as his eyes stared at the television screen inattentively, watching as images and sounds come and go.  His mind was elsewhere, thinking, once again, of what was to become of him.  Or who he was destined to be.  He doesn't believe in destinies, though, does he?  Afterall, he'd experienced a dramatic change in Earth's fate when Trunks visited from the future.  But then again, he wasn't so sure anymore.  In fact, with the jumble of different yet related thoughts bouncing around in his brain, Goku was sure that he was losing his mind.

            Gohan walked up to his father cautiously.  He could feel this incredible tension within Goku as he seemed to fight among himself.  Yep, he sure is back to normal…or at least what's considered normal since Radditz's attack.

            "Hey dad," Gohan greeted.  "Don't worry about ruining the reunion.  Everyone was glad to help.  Afterall, you would do the same for us."  Goku merely nodded.

            Chi-chi and Goten entered next.  "Dad, you're freaky when you're like this.  Please try to be happy again."  Goten's innocent plea made Goku smile despite all his troubles.  Chi-chi, on the other hand, was rather mad.

            "Why didn't you tell us as soon as it happened?" she inquired sternly, hands on her hips and glaring down at Goku.  He cringed, as everyone else also does when Chi-chi has a temper.

            "I didn't want to worry anyone.  Besides, all I wanted was just for my past to be forgotten.  Saying more would go against that."  Chi-chi nodded in understanding.

            "Goku, I want you to try your best to control that monster Kakarot.  You hear me?"  

            "I promise to do the best I can."  End of conversation.  Chi-chi went inside the kitchen to prepare dinner while Goten went outside to catch some fresh air.  Gohan, however, remained and sat down opposite of his father.

            With everyone out of earshot, Goku flipped the off button on the tv's remote control and looked up at his older son.  "Gohan, I have to win this battle single-handedly, don't I?"

            Catching the note of desperation in Goku's voice, Gohan tilted his head and stared intently at his father.  "I wish I could say no to that, but I can't lie to you.  I'm afraid you'll have to keep him contained by yourself."

            "And what happens if I can't?"

            Gohan was caught off-guard by that question.  Since when does Goku stay around in one place all depressed and unsure of his ability?  "What exactly did Radditz do to you, Dad?  I know he did much more than causing injuries and bringing back your memory."  When Goku remained silent, he continued.  "Did he mocked you about something and you, for some reason, believed in him?"

            "I'm just so distracted with all these questions I want answered," Goku replied.  "And yes, Radditz did say a lot of things that got to me.  But the thing is, he was telling the truth."

            "All he can do is lie and beg for mercy!" cried an enraged Gohan.  "I can't believe you'll let him degrade you to this point.  And Goten was right.  In this mood you are seriously freaky."

            "Gohan, why don't you just yell at me for once?  You don't have to be so nice all the time.  I'm sure you're pretty mad at me," Goku stated.

            "Why would I be mad at you?  You didn't do anything!"

            "That's the point.  I am a terrible father and husband.  I was never around, if you remembered correctly.  You were forced to fight all your life because I'm too weak to fight alone, and I know that you don't enjoy fighting.  Other times I take off seeking adventure without ever saying a word, and left your mother all alone just worry everyday.  As for Goten, he grew up fatherless since—"

            "Wow!"  Gohan interrupted.  "You're getting ahead of yourself!  Those things aren't true.  In fact, I still think you're a great guy."

            "They are true, Gohan.  Just try to remember.  I was never around when you or your mom or Goten needed me."

            "What are you trying to say, Dad?"

            "That I'm an irresponsible idiot who don't deserve yours or anyone else's sympathy."

            "You know what?"  Gohan said to break the hanging silence after Goku's blunt statement.  "Saving the world is a difficult job.  It's not meant to be done alone.  You've always taught me about teamwork.  Besides, you paid the price for any wrong doings with the ultimate sacrifice.  I'll say that's about enough revenge."

            Goku sat in silence for a while, pondering upon his son's words.  Finally, he said, "You're an intelligent boy."  He stood up and patted Gohan on the head like he used to seven years ago.  "Thank you," he whispered.

            "Sure, Dad.  Anytime."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "You're wrong, Goku," Kakarot hissed ominously.  "Just wait and see.  I'll prove how wrong you are.  You can't deny your heritage as a saiyin, and you certainly can't wipe away your memory.  You will devote your life to killing and serving your master only.  There is no room for emotions.  Saiyins live their lives with stone-cold hearts."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            A long time has passed since Kakarot's warning.  In that time, Goku had managed to contain the unwanted information to the back of his mind.  He did so with ease.  Perhaps Gohan's words had boosted his confidence and renewed his strength.  Or perhaps Kakarot is too busy creating devious plans that, when he succeeds, will result in a long-term effect.  Even permanent.

            Earth was quite peaceful.  Goku made up with all his friends.  Even his relationship with Krillen has returned to the usual.  He continued to grow closer to Goten and made up for lost time with his family and friends.  Gohan and Videl eventually got married and had a daughter named Pan.  Majin Buu was reincarnated as Uub and Goku trained the boy for five years.  Afterwards, he was unexpectedly reversed in age and became a boy again.  Then he travelled around the universe on a quest to recover the black star dragonballs with Trunks and Pan.  He'd reached SSJ 4 and won against Babi.

The only bad thing is that Piccolo died.

            It was weird, but Goku and Pan had become such close friends.  Everything in the world seemed so perfect that no one could possibly disturb this balance.  But is that assumption entirely accurate?  Maybe it wasn't even close to the truth.  With everyone having let their guards down, no one was prepared for the next event, which is about to happen…

A/N: Phew! That was long!  At least to me it is.  Sorry it took so long to update, but I was trying to figure out which direction this story should go in.  Anyway, as usual, **REVIEW!!!!!!**

Angelfish369 ^-^

These five chapters are sort of like a prequel…next chapter the story really begins. 


	6. Confession

A/N: Thank you for your reviews!!!  For anyone who might be wondering why this is now in GT time, here's an explanation which you will hopefully accept: 

I simply prefer Goku as a kid.  He's so adorable!!!  Goten's cuter though. I have not a single clue what happened at the end of DBZ, so placing my story in that time period might not be the most appropriate spot available. I watched almost the entire Babi saga, except for a few episodes in-between, so I have a general idea of what happened. I like it when Goku has a young companion.  Goten could have worked out, except that, as previously mentioned, I really don't know what happened when Goten was that young. 

'nough blabbering.  Enjoy this next chapter!

Confession 

            A gentle breeze passing by ruffled Goku's unruly hair.  There's nothing like relaxing by the riverbank without a care in the world.  Even better, he's got company today.  His granddaughter, Pan, has decided to join him.  But then again, why won't she?  Afterall, Chi-chi and Videl have gone on another cleaning spree, so the safest thing to do is to escape from home.

            Goku turned his head left and looked at Pan.  There is a place around here that he hadn't shown anyone, not even his own two sons.  He was too busy then.  This time, he plans to be there for Pan whenever she needs him.  Getting up from his lying-down position, he stretched.  "Follow me," he instructed his granddaughter.  "There's something I'd like to show you."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "There are two remaining full-blooded saiyins, living on the planet Earth," said a figure in a low, dark voice.  "I want you to gather them and bring them here.  I must have control over every last one."

            "Yes Sire," answered two voices.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "So here we are," said Goku as he entered a small, wooden building, followed closely by Pan.  

            "A house in the middle of these thick woods…whose house is it anyway?" asked a curious Pan.

            "It's Grandpa's house.  I was brought up here.  Pretty neat, huh?"  Goku said with contentment in his voice.  This has got to be his favourite place in the world, and coming from a guy who'd travelled the world and beyond, that's saying a lot.

            Pan gaped at Goku, wide-eyed.  "_Your_ Grandpa?" she exclaimed, astonished.  "I've never been told anything about him, and neither have Dad or Uncle Goten!"

            "That's because I don't really know what to say," Goku replied as he dusted off the cushion that used to hold the four-star dragonball, trying his best to avoid Pan's eyes.

            Impatient from curiosity, Pan grabbed Goku by the shoulders and spun him around.  "Tell me about him!" she chirped eagerly.

            Goku chuckled.  "Sure thing, but you'll better calm down first."  When Pan did so, Goku started.  "As a saiyan baby, I was sent to Earth to destroy this planet.  My space pod landed nearby this place, and an old man named Son Gohan found me.  He adopted me as his grandson, and named me Son Goku."

            He paused, and Pan looked on to him with interest, so he continued.  "I was a real pain, since saiyans are known for being rather aggressive.  He didn't give up on me though, and loved me as though I am his real grandson.  One day he went on a walk and took me with him.  I got naughty and fell down a waterfall, injuring my head on a rock near the bottom."

            At this his granddaughter winced.  Ouch…

            "It was quite the turning point in my life," Goku insisted.  "I became the good guy you know today.  Also, if Earth got destroyed, you won't even be here!"

            "Now that I know of _your_ past," Pan persisted, "I want to know what happened to your grandpa."

            Goku fell silent instantly, the grin on his face disappearing.  Now how is he supposed to go about this?  'I killed him even after all he'd done for me.'  Nope, won't work.

            "Grandpa?  Are you okay?  What's with the silent treatment?"

            "Don't worry, everything's fine," he reassured.  "Well almost everything, I mean," he sputtered hurriedly at the end.

            "Please explain yourself," Pan insisted.

            "Oh you're not going to like this," Goku muttered.  "But anyway, here it is: I transformed under the full moon one day and stepped on my grandpa," he announced, and timidly turned to see Pan's reaction. 

            Once again Pan gaped at him, but this time with fearful wide eyes.  "You're a murderer!" she managed to gasp.  Without warning she fled, vanishing from Goku's sight before he can intervene.  Heaving a sigh, he walked a little ways further and sat down on the ground.  His eyes searched the plain Earth until they fell upon a certain spot that only appeals to no one but him.

            "Hey Eyes, how're you doing buddy?"  Goku lifted his eyes slightly until they reached another spot.  "I'm sorry Grandpa.  I hope you're happy in Heaven.  It's a nice place.  That, I know."  It was a secret he had kept from Gohan when Eyes's grave was being dug.  It's barely one meter apart from Grandpa Gohan's.  Slowly getting up, Goku hung his head and gradually walked away from the buried bodies.  "This is great," he muttered angrily.  "I can't say anything without upsetting somebody."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Ever since the day Pan learned the truth, things have never been the same between her and Goku.  Whenever Goku was around, Pan would grow rather jumpy and apprehended.  Meanwhile, Goku tried to pretend that nothing happened, although it just doesn't work.  Pan was right – he is a murder.  At least, he _was_ one.  'Wrong,' a little voice in the back of his mind said.  'You still murder occasionally.  You just killed Babi not long ago!'

            'I had no choice!' a frustrated Goku screamed back at him mentally.

            'Oh yes you do.  You were fully conscious during the making of your decisions,' it taunted mercilessly.

            "Shut up!" Goku yelled out, one moment too late.  Now whoever was present in the room just stared at him as if he was nuts.  Maybe I am, he laughed to himself.  Gosh this is embarrassing…  Immediately Goku ran out of the house.  He needs to calm down before meeting up with anyone else.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            No questions were asked when he returned home.  That's good.  But then again, he wasn't surprised, because the only one home was Pan, who often tries to play hide-and-seek with him ever since the "incident".  Still, Goku made an effort to improve their relationship.

            Pan sat on the living couch pulling her bow on the strings of her viola.  There was a frown on her face.  Once she'd been so obsessed with this instrument, but now it's all just a pain in the neck.  Chi-chi and Videl constantly nags her to practice, which irritates her greatly.  But those two are just so hard to ignore when they nag…  No one seems to understand that it's hard work and requires too much time and concentration.  Well…there was one person who insisted that teenagers should be free to have fun instead of being cooped up inside, though he always loses the arguments…  Pan wiped the memories from her head.  Nope.  No more.  That person is a murderer!  And once she'd trusted him with her life…  'Get a grip, Pan,' she scolded herself mentally.  'That murderer is the legendary Son Goku.  He doesn't kill for pleasure!  There's always a motive.'  But even after the criticism, she still felt uneasy about getting close to her grandpa.

            "Hey Pan," Goku greeted cheerfully and sat down next to her.  "Viola playing okay today?"

            "Um hm," she mumbled in reply.

            "Who knows?  If you take your practices seriously, one day you might be able to travel on a world tour," he continued.  Goku knew his granddaughter is talented.  Exceptionally talented, actually, and had dreamed of touring the world with her beloved viola.

            It was as if something snapped suddenly, as Pan felt an incredible amount of anger bubbling up inside of her.  She'd just spent about two hours sitting patiently on the couch as someone would pass by occasionally and mention the fact that she should take her practices more seriously, until everyone left to attend to their own businesses.  She had, with remarkable will power, gradually sat through the earfuls of pointless lecturing without screaming at anyone.  Doesn't _anyone_ understand how she feels?  And here she thought that there is one person who would loyally stand by her side…

            It was just too much.  "You're no different from the others!" she shrieked in an explosion of anger.  "I thought you'll at least be sympathetic, but no!  Nagging is everyone's nature.  You're all experts at it and have to choose me to be the victim each and every time!"

            "Hey that's not true!" Goku protested, but his objection was cut off.

            "Shut up!  Just shut up and leave me alone!"  With that, Pan furiously threw down her instrument, not waiting to hear the clatter, and stormed outside blinded by rage.

            At the last second, Goku reached out and caught the viola and bow before it can collide with the floor and shatter.  Phew, that was a close one, he thought, and settled back on the comfy couch.  Suddenly he jumped up in surprise.  Someone's energy level was rapidly fading, but why?  And whose?  No time for questions.  He has to get to whoever needs help immediately.  Then something else caught his sensitive senses.  There are two massive power levels along with the dwindling one, and they are heading his way.

A/N: That one took a while, didn't it?  Hehe, sorry!  I'm not especially busy or anything, but am, unfortunately, attacked by a minor case of writer's block.  Not to mention a cold!  Having a cold in the middle of a _really_ hot summer just seems rather weird.  Oops, went off track.  Anyway, all I ask of you are reviews.  _Please_? 


	7. The Next Challenge

A/N:  I was informed that there is a grammar problem with my writing.  Thanks for telling me.  I was actually aware of it a long time ago, but it's just so hard to change your writing style, especially if you don't know how to do things properly.  So sorry to those who had trouble reading due to the grammar problem.  I will try my best to fix it, but no promise.  I've always had issues with tenses, so expect it to be some time before I get my grammar under control.   J

Disclaimer: (Reading from paper in a monotone) I do not own Dragonball, Dragonball Z, or Dragonball Gt.

A/N: Did I put a disclaimer in every chapter?  You probably won't mind if I forgot because _everyone_ gets tired of reading them eventually.  It's hard to remember sometimes.

The Next Challenge 

            Running outside quickly, Goku's first instinct was to find Pan and protect her from whatever dangers was coming their way.  She was easy enough to track down, although her power level had been pushed down so as not to be detected.  He had been told to leave her alone, but this is not exactly the best time for that.  First things first, and this is an emergency.

            Preparing to take flight, Goku realized that he was still holding onto the viola and bow.  At the push of a button, the instrument was once again safely back in its capsule.  Finally, he took to the sky.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Pan sat at the foot of a large tree, its leaves and branches draping, resembling her hunched over figure.  It was a weeping willow, but Pan's pride would not allow the tears to fall.  Also, she was strong, right?  And those who are strong never cries.  Her grandfather, for one, never did.  'You're thinking about him again!  Why?!'  Frustrated that she can't stop thinking about Goku, Pan's anger rose even higher still.  She was unaware that her energy level is no longer hidden.  In fact, it's become all too obvious to anyone who has the slightest of detecting abilities, not to mention two scouters…

            "Pan, what are you doing here?" a concerned Goku asked as he landed softly beside his granddaughter.

            Focusing her gaze abruptly to a cloud in the distance, Pan mumbled, "Mind your own business."

            "We've got to get out of here," Goku hissed fiercely.  At the same time, he slipped the viola's capsule into Pan's pocket without drawing her attention.  She did felt a slight tug at her pants, but ignored it thinking it's probably just her imagination.  However, Goku's demand did capture her interest. 

            She turned to look at her grandpa.  "Why?" she demanded coolly.  Suddenly she caught the worry in Goku's eyes, but didn't interrogate him about it, since she's not exactly in a talking mood.  Besides, she's still very mad at him.

            "Just do as I say, and you will not be sorry," Goku explained briefly.

            It was an unsatisfying reply.  It reminded Pan of just how annoying this "kid" really can be.  Slowly but surely, she felt the rage surge through her again.  For a short moment, all coherent thoughts deserted her mind, and she fired a large ki blast at the unsuspecting Goku.  Pan watched in horror as his body was thrown backwards by the impact, as though in slow motion, and hit the ground with a thud which echoed in her head, over and over and over again.

            All was motionless, then Goku got back up on his feet, the concern previously in his eyes replaced by controlled fury.  He wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth and stared intensely at Pan.  Fortunately, he was a pretty strong guy, so the ki blast didn't do much damage.  Still…

            Time stand still as the two stared unmoving at each other.  Then a voice cut through the hanging silence.  "Do you really hate me that much?" Goku inquired.  His voice carries a bitter tinge.

            Recovering from the surprise attack, Pan allowed her answer to be guided by her unending ferocity.  "Yes I do!  I hate you grandpa!  I HATE YOU!!!"  She was about to fly off elsewhere when her senses kicked in: two giant powers, one weak.  What is going on?

            Goku turned around and prepared for the arrival of the three.  Confirmative: the dwindling one belongs to Vegeta.  As for the other two…  Goku's eyes widened in fear as he recognized one of the massive powers…Radditz…  He could still remember that day, long ago, when his saiyan brother dropped in for a surprise attack and murdered his best friend…  Goku stood immobile as he waited patiently for the dreaded encounter.

            After what seemed like hours, a strong gust of wind whizzed across the open valley.  Goku shut his eyes to avoid being blinded by the sand picking up.  When he opened them, the scene before him was quite a sight.  Rendered speechless, all Goku could do is stare frozen at the threesome before him.

            "Hello, brother," Radditz's voice cracked tauntingly.  "It's been a while since the last time we met, hasn't it?"

            Goku diverged his attention from Radditz to study the other saiyan, and gulped.  Bardock…  A long-ago memory returned to him, one developed while travelling to Earth in a space pod, forgotten in an accident, and retrieved in an attack.  His father's voice had spoken to him, thanking him for the courage gathered in order to take a stand against Frieza.  Unbeknownst to Goku, Bardock's spirit had always been inside of him.  Bardock's cause of death was from standing up for something he truly believed in, and he died with a good conscience.  So why is he here, alive, and teamed up with his evil older son?  Wait a minute…why is _Radditz_ alive?  Goku couldn't believe he overlooked that last time.

            Then there is Vegeta.  No harm done really.  Or, at least nothing that the eye can see.  However, the saiyan prince was unconscious, wearing a bewildered and alarmed expression.  He probably got knocked out, Goku assumed.  Afterall, he knew for a fact that Radditz is superior in strength compared to himself, for some mysterious reason.  So how strong does that make Bardock?  All he recalled was that Frieza was "unhappy" about Bardock's strength, so he must have been a pretty strong guy to start with.  But did he improve as much as Radditz?  Goku hoped not.  As if an answer to that question, their energy levels rose dramatically, as if preparing for battle.  Bardock is even stronger than Radditz…

            A whimper from behind him brought Goku back to reality.  Turning around he saw his granddaughter backed up against the tree in horror.  Yep, the two saiyans' strength sure is fear provoking.  No doubt about that.

            Goku stood protectively in front of Pan, though he was aware that this could only provide her with some comfort, and nothing else.  He was no match for those two.  Hang on…Pan did say that she hated him, didn't she?  Goku worried about that possibility, then decided that it was false.  Pan doesn't know what pure hate is, and is unaware of the passionate feelings emitted by it.  She'd never experienced it, and hopefully never will.

            "What do you want from us?" Goku summoned his courage and asked, in the process indicating Vegeta with a nod in his direction.  There were so many more questions he wanted answers to.  So many more…

            "I'm glad you asked," Radditz smirked at him.  That smirk…is it the saiyan signature smirk or what?  Goku shuddered inwardly, and glanced briefly at Vegeta.  He must have been training when interrupted, considering he was clothed in his saiyan "uniform".  Bardock held on to the back of Vegeta's collar and let Radditz do all the talking.

            As Goku returned his attention to the longhaired saiyan, a surprised yelp, cut off short, came from behind.  Whipping around quickly, he was shocked to find Pan dangling in the air…by her throat.  Bardock's expressionless features now show a smirk as he suffocated the girl in one hand.  

            "Let her go!!!" Goku screamed desperately as fear clutched at his heart.  What if she dies?  He has to do something, and soon, but he's just so powerless to help…  Bardock was so fast that he wasn't even aware of his actions!

            "Your's growing frantic," Radditz teased jeeringly, and his smirk grew wider with the growing satisfaction.  He could almost taste Kakarot's fear on his lips…  "Now listen carefully if you want her to live," he ordered in a demanding tone.  When Goku remained silent and merely nodded, Radditz commenced his explanation.

            "Our Sire, Lord Ice, had the ability to revive our entire saiyan race.  All those killed by Lord Frieza or met death some other way was restored."  Out of the corner of his eyes, Goku saw Bardock let go of Pan.  She dropped to the ground with a soft thud and lay there motionless.  Goku felt propelled to move forward and see to her, but his brain screamed at him to stay put and listen to what Radditz has to say.

            "Lord Ice was the father of King Cold.  In other words, he is the grandfather of Frieza.  Our race has been reborn, Kakarot, and all those who function under Lord Ice will be granted power like none you've ever seen before."  

            Pan stirred and slowly raised her head, regaining her bearings.

            "Father and I have been summoned to recover the last two stray saiyans from Earth.  You see, Sire's objective is to have every last saiyan working under him."

            "But that leaves you with a choice!" Goku protested.  "You were all once loyal subjects of Frieza, and look what he did to your race!"

            "Quiet!" Radditz roared.  "Our soul purpose in life is to serve our lord and master.  And listen to yourself talk.  If you recall correctly, Kakarot, _you_ are a saiyan yourself.  You're one of us.  It's an undeniable fact."  Radditz regained his composure, once again having a cool attitude, and smirked evilly at Goku.

            "So what are you going to do if I won't go?" Goku interrogated bravely, though he already knew the answer inside.

            Radditz laughed, but it was not a pleasant sound.  It sent shivers down Goku's spine just hearing that noise.  "Very well then.  I suppose we'll have to resolve to brutal force then."

            Goku gulped.  Man, was he ever nervous.  He'd long ago lost his confident fighter composure.

            "I can see that you're tense, Kakarot.  That's okay, you can begin as a spectator."  Radditz nodded his signal to Bardock, and immediately Goku saw Pan being lifted up into the air.  Except this time, Bardock has no intention to chock her yet.  Instead, he just stood there smirking at Goku, Vegeta in one hand and Pan in the other.  Goku's gaze met Pan's, and he saw the pleading look on her face.  'Poor child,' Goku thought guiltily.  'My granddaughter is scared to death.  She's even pleading me to help her, and yet, I just can't…'

            "Perhaps more friendly persuasion is all it takes," Bardock spoke for the first time.  His voice is indifferent from what Goku remembered, although there is an ominous undertone lingering long after he finished speaking.

            This time Goku reacted instantaneously.  "No don't!"  The two saiyans looked at him, waiting to hear what he has to say when given no choice.  "Please don't hurt her.  Leave her out of this."  

            'So the little rascal is willing to beg despite his saiyan pride.  This girl is family.  No wonder he cares so much.'  Both Bardock and Radditz shared a similar thought and planned along those lines.  This should be interesting…

            As fast as lightning, Goku felt himself being scooped off the ground and into Radditz's arm.  However, he did not protest.  For now he has to concentrate on keeping Pan safe.  The rest, well, he'll have to sort out the details later.

            Radditz wrapped his arm tighter around Goku's waist, and he felt his back press against the taller saiyan with crushing force.  "Seems to me the dragonaballs can backfire when in the wrong hands," Radditz commented.  "I have my way of knowing, little brother.  In fact, I know everything about you.  Don't try to pull a fast one on us.  I can assure you that it won't work."

            A hand was pressed flat against Goku's stomach, and he froze as realization came to him of what is about to happen.  In accordance to his predictions, he felt the scorching pain as Radditz concentrated his ki in that hand…and gradually burnt a large hole right through him.  Goku screamed painfully through the ordeal, but the two saiyans merely savored the delicious sound.

            Pan watched her grandpa writhe and breathe with much difficulty.  Gradually he stopped moving completely, his breathing shallow and uneven.  Is he dead?  He can't be…he's Son Goku.  Besides, she loves him to bits, so he can't just leave her like this.  'I love him to bits,' she realized.  'yet I insisted that I hate him.  I'll never be able to apologize…'  With that insight, she sobbed quietly and let the tears flow freely.

            Although Goku was severely injured, he was still hanging on by a thread.  There is absolutely no way that he will leave Pan behind with those two.  No way.  His vision had become blurry from the incredible blood loss, but he could still hear quit clearly.  However, all the words seem to be mixed up in an incoherent jumble.  Whatever he heard did not register in his brain.

            "It's time to take you back," Radditz announced menacingly.  "Lord Ice will be pleased with our performance, Father."

            Bardock nodded in agreement, and dropped Vegeta on the ground.  He reached inside his shirt and pulled out something.  Pan couldn't make out what it was at first.  It looked like tiny white medication bottles.  Capsules.  Pan stared wide-eyes at the white bottles as Bardock released five saiyan space pods.  He caught her astonished gawk.

            "It didn't take a whole lot of persuasion from the prince's wife to develop such ingenious creations for us," Bardock commented and chuckled coldly.  "Seems to me Capsule Corps. can fit any object into capsules."

            After Radditz opened the door to each space pod, Bardock threw Vegeta into one.  Pan shut her eyes tightly when she was tossed into another one.  When she opened her eyes, everything was swirling around and around.  She actually saw stars.  Before she got her bearings straight, the door closed in front of her and she was trapped in the circular object.  Then there was a loud noise as the gigantic weeping willow got smaller and smaller.  She is being blasted off to some alien planet, and all she could do is stare at the shrinking planet in sight.  Then, with surprising speed, Earth, her home planet, was out of sight.  

A/N: I am really starting to have a hard time with this fic.  It seems as if the words just can't be molded in sentences that make sense.  Also, I'm running out of synonyms.  Man oh man.  I must be going crazy, for some unknown but probably bizarre reason.  Anyway, review, or you'll be ninety-three when the next update comes by.  I need encouragements desperately!!!          


	8. Arrival

A/N:  Just how long has it been since I last updated?  …lost count…  In return for your patience, here is the next chappie.  Enjoy.

Disclaimer:  Not my property.  You know the drill.

**Arrival**

            It seemed like an eternity had gone by by the time she reopened her eyes.  What happened?  In alarmed alertness, she recalled the previous events…  Grandpa, where are you?  'He's dead,' a cold voice responded in her head, and a chill crept down her back, 'and it's all your fault.'  Pan's head snapped upwards and stared motionlessly through the circular window into the never-ending darkness.  Occasionally a glow would emit in the distance, replenishing her of hope.  Then, as suddenly as it appeared, it'll disappear, once again filling her with despair.  'I'm being kidnapped to some part in the universe!' she panicked frantically.  Then a realization hit hard.  'I'll probably never see my family and friends again.  Goodbye, Earth and everyone on it.  Sorry Grandpa.  I should have listened to you.  I am sincerely sorry!  Please forgive me…'  With that, she burst into fresh tears.  Her life is over, and she is spending her last moments alone…all alone in an alien space pod floating in space…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            There was no denying the amount of blood loss.  He could smell it with every difficult intake of oxygen, could taste the coppery flavour on his lips.  As he fought desperately for life, Goku felt a sudden jolt, and was hurled violently to another side of the tiny pod.  Coughing up more blood, he realized that his space travel had come to an end. Finally, after the long, excruciating journey of agony and worry, he'd reached this destination.  It's not necessarily a good thing though.  Who knows how far his is away from home, or what the saiyans' intentions are?  And where is Pan anyway?  He'd sworn to protect her with his life, yet he is too exhausted for his brain to work properly.  This can't be good.

            Goku could feel a thick, black blanket of fog threatening to overtake him.  How nice it would be to give in and be lured into the world of unconsciousness, painless and worry free.  But he can't, for it could mean his, and Pan's, doom.  However, it did consume him in the end.  The last thing he remembered before giving in to the comforting darkness was being thrown into a tank and surrounded by a warm fluid.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            It landed.  The space pod landed!  Maybe I won't die floating in space afterall, Pan mused.  Right…so what happens now?  In fact, how in the universe is she going to get out of this thing?  As if in answer to her panicked thoughts, the door opened, and she came face to face with more panic.  It's Bardock, her supposing Great-grandfather.  Sure…so much for family relations.  You don't see him sparing anybody, not even his own son.

            "Follow me," the rigid voice demanded quietly.  Pan consented, and examined her surroundings as she clambered out of the cramped space pod.  There's not much, to say the least.  Just a lot of empty spaces.  There's the planet's crust, which she is standing on, and not far in the distance is a castle-sized building of some sort.  Very…alienish, Pan observed.  Still, she's just plain thankful that there is oxygen in the atmosphere.  

            Pan tagged along behind the tall saiyan, and stared at his back.  He sure looked a whole lot like Grandpa.  Unfortunately, she learned the hard way that appearance can be deceiving.  She wanted to scream at the man for watching on in satisfaction as his own son got killed, but she was suddenly overcome with fear.  Fear for her near future, and how her family on Earth would react upon the disappearance of Grandpa and her.

            At first glance, this planet seemed so isolated, and big.  But after a relatively short walk, she'd already followed Bardock through the heavy double doors of the castle.  It was quite a luxurious place.  Wide, extensive hallways stretch on and on with guards lining the walls about two metres apart.  And was it ever clean.  Not a single thing was out of place, although there was a lack of decorations…

            Pan trailed behind Bardock through twists, turns, and intersections.  Where the heck is he leading her to?  But finally, he halted in front of a door, which opened in a "Y" shape…and she couldn't believe her eyes as the narrow opening revealed a rejuvenation tank, with someone very familiar in it.  Grandpa Goku…

            Pan began to run forward, but Bardock's rough hand grasped her by the shoulder.  "A saiyan needs peace and quiet to heal quickly.  Leave him alone," he warned firmly.  Pan's head nodded subconsciously.  Goku's alive…he's alive…  And as long as he's alive, there is still hope for the both of them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She waited, and waited, feebly eyeing the solitary figure resting inside the circular tank.  'What's taking so long?' Pan wondered.  'If they are sincerely trying to heal him, why not just hurry it up?  They've got the technology.'  Slowly she sank to her knees.  It looked like a long wait, and she might as well make the best of it, by planning their escape.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            It's dark.  That was Goku's first thought as he slowly regained consciousness.  He racked his brain for memories of previous events, and came face to face with a huge zero.  Whatever happened must have been big, since he couldn't feel more unlike himself.  Goku's entire body ached; even his head throbbed.  Too tired to let another thought pass through his head, he relaxed, practically falling asleep.

            It's bright.  So bright, in fact, that his eyes hurt.  Goku squinted his eyes and looked around.  It was bizarre.  Everything's taken on a greenish hue, and the shapes of things looked wavy…hazy…as though he was watching from inside a sphere.  Goku almost gagged when realization struck him like a bell.  He _is_ inside a sphere!  Why, he's sitting in a tank of greenish fluid with saiyan healing properties.  He remembered Vegeta saying something like that once. 

            Vegeta…who…?  The saiyan grew dizzy as the name swam through his head of distorted memories, trying to match up with a face.  Bingo.  Vegeta: the saiyan prince with that classic smirk, unreadable eyes, and of course, the flame-shaped hair-do.  But what about Vegeta?  Oh yes, he got captured…  Goku flailed his arms about involuntarily, almost falling backwards, as more realization struck him.  Alarming yes, but also more clear and precise than the last.  Before he could organize those thoughts, the coloured solution drained out of the tank in a split second's time, and Goku found himself hitting the tank's bottom in an unnatural sitting position, dazed.  His clothes, with a large hole in the abdomen, were soaked through.  Though his skin felt similar, he was also quite aware of the cold chill that now surrounds him from head to toe.  He shivered.

            The door to the rejuvenation tank opened, and a man in a white lab coat walked up to him, removed the oxygen tank and two tabs on his temples, and stepped back.  Goku climbed out cautiously, unsure of what to expect.  By this time he'd regained his memory, and finally remembered what he's up against.  He figured that he's on the saiyans' home base planet.  Lifting his eyes up from the floor, Goku met Pan's worried gaze, and smiled reassuringly.

            Goku's smile faded away when Radditz entered the room, and smirked.  "So you did pull through, dear brother.  I'm glad you're worthy, or all our efforts to track you down would have been a waste of time."  When Goku kept his mouth shut, unable to think of something wise to reply, Radditz continued.  "I'm guessing you have questions seeking answers.  I assure you that they will all be answered in time.  For now, just follow me."

            Without hesitation, Goku followed.  He was extremely glad to depart the medical lab where all the needles and that horrible sterile scent are.  Pan tagged along behind her grandpa.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            They are walking on ramps slanting downwards that lead directly to…the dungeon.  Pan gulped.  First abducted by aliens, now locked up in their dungeons for who knows how long!  She stole a sideways glance at her grandpa.  Protest was written across his face, and he appeared to be working hard to clamp his mouth shut.  Why is he so hesitant to speak?  She did not have long to ponder, for the next thing she knew, she was being lifted off the floor and thrown into one of the jail cells.  Hitting the cold, hard stonewall, Pan realized with a jolt how much the temperature has dropped.  Climbing back into a sitting position, she saw Goku running towards her.  She opened her mouth to tell him to halt, but was one moment too late.  The gate latched close, and the two are locked behind bars.

            "Fool…" Radditz muttered, shaking his head.  Giving a final smirk at the two, he turned on his heels and left.

            Watching her brother's retreating back, Goku's anger burned and his energy level skyrocketed.  Fortunately, the fire was contained.  It was a skill Goku had deemed vital since he was a young boy.  

Pan stared after the departing figure.  "What now?" she wondered aloud.  She received no response, considering Goku could only conjure one reply, and he doesn't want to hear it said out loud.    

Only time will tell.     

A/N:  So I extended the chapter.  The extension is supposed to be chapter 9, but it's just as short as the previous chapter 8.  Now it's longer!  Review please.


	9. Hostile Hospitality

A/N:  In case you didn't know yet, I extended chapter 8.  If you haven't read that yet, please do so before continuing with this.  Anyway, here it is--chapter 9.

Hostile Hospitality 

            The duo stood in silence.  Every so often, echoing footsteps could be heard in the distance, but all too soon they would disappear.  The noiselessness will once again endure, as though the interruption was never even there at all.  The deafening quiet is so disturbingly persistent that each sound, even heartbeats, reverberated off the solid stone walls and floor. Chilly gusts of wind occasionally swept across the large, empty space.  One with a wild, panicked imagination would surely claim the place as haunted.

            Goku sighed.  To sum up their current situation very briefly: they're stuck.  "It's been a long afternoon," he remarked.  "Let's call it a day, shall we?"  However, Pan could only gape disbelievingly at her grandfather.

            "You're just going to give up and let them deal with us as they like?!  _You_, can sit around and wait, but don't expect me to accompany you.  _I_, am going to attempt an escape whether you agree or not.  These jail bars can't exactly keep us locked up, you know."  Pan was growing increasingly irritated at Goku with every second.  Wasn't he the one who taught her to never give up even when the odds are undeniably stacked against you?

            "Please hear me out just this once, Pan," Goku said quietly and dejectedly.

            Now Pan was growing worried.  'Why is Grandpa so low on confidence suddenly?' she mused.  

            "These saiyans are strong, Pan," Goku explained using the same volume and dishearten tone.  "We have no chance of going anywhere without their consent.  Now, please, just stay put and be patient."

            Grandpa Goku ≠ patience, this Pan knew as a fact.  So if _he_ can wait, why not she?  But let's consider the danger factors here.  The pros and cons list of staying and do as the enemy commands; the cons undoubtedly outweighed the pros.

            "Grandpa, it's far too risky to linger here.  We should flee while we have the chance," she protested.  Goku displayed no interest whatsoever in what she has to say.  She raised her volume, causing the sound waves to bounce off the hard surfaces more evidently and echo each syllable articulately. "Grandpa, are you listening to me?  If we don't move it, they are going to harm us.  Did you hear me?  _They will **kill **us slowly and brutally!  _Are you even paying attention to---"

            "That's enough!" Goku screamed out of the blue, making his granddaughter jump.  He looked at her, images of fire dancing wildly in his dark, narrowed eyes.  Immediately the blazing inferno vanished, and they once again held a vacant, distant look.  It was rather haunting, actually.  In the calmest, most even tone manageable, he declared in a voice of newly strengthened quality, "I won't let them hurt you, Pan."  His voice wavered slightly with uncontained emotion.  "Trust me.  If you'd just put a little faith in me, I'll make sure that you're kept safe.  Everything will be just fine, and that's a promise."

            By now Goku's eyes bored deep into Pan's.  In the pair, a faltering flame of energy fluctuated continuously, involved in an intense duel of strength and weakness.  It held a soft, gentle spot which can melt anyone's heart, yet the fire of determination was unimaginable.  Suddenly, as though a switch was flickered, Pan saw something in his grandfather, an insight that would change her view of Goku forever……

_'People hide deeper than you may realize.'_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

***Goku's POV***

            My head hurts.  It's similar to the pain and confusion I'd felt around the time Eyes was killed.  That was definitely not a pleasant time.  After I almost blew my best friend to pieces, I had a talk with Gohan.  Being half human himself, I suppose he understands human emotions way better than I ever will.  Talking with him really helped.  It made me feel forgiven for never being there for my family.  But I know that deep down, I never really will truly forgive myself for committing such a crime.  What bothered me was that if I were granted a second chance to make my decision, I would have chosen the same path, knowing full well the consequences of my imperative decision…

            I wish I could talk to Pan; I _really_ wish I could!  But she is still young, and Gohan was 18 when we had our first "profound" talk.  And that was the last time.  I am just not the type of person who likes to play it glum.  I bottle up all my emotions somewhere remarkably deep inside, to the point where I often have trouble locating them myself.  I started doing that on Namek, at an incredibly significant moment after my triumph over Freiza.  I'd sincerely wanted to spare his life.  I even went as far as sharing my precious energy!  But in the end, I blasted him into smithereens, or so I thought.  I'll never forget that moment when I just suspended motionlessly above the crater I formed with that furious attack, where everything was silent and immobile.  In that moment, another rush of emotions flashed through me.  This time, it was not uncontainable rage.  It was sorrow; a sorrow so bottomless and indescribable it tore out my heart and left a hole the size of the crater I produced.  That moment suspended in time induced a fear I'd never experienced before.  I became afraid of who I was, and who I was capable of being: a pure-hearted, innocent soul who, in a flash, could become a ruthless, cold-hearted monster knowing and desiring to do none but kill.  That fear tempted me to keep my emotions in check, thus depleting them altogether.  I vowed to remain as the goofy, simple idiot everyone had always thought of me.  My greatest fear of all, however, as weird as it might sound, was that Flying Nimbus would refuse to be my friend anymore.

            In that extremely tense moment when Pan and I were staring at each other, she acquired the strangest expression all of a sudden.  I'm not sure what it meant, but I don't like it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

***Normal POV***

            It's almost midnight now as Pan stared at her watch.  She was lying on the stone cold floor of the cell, wrapped in an icy blanket of chilled air.  The narrow passageway outside of her cell is dimly lit by flaming torches.  The tiny bursts of light flickered and crackled continuously, unsteady, unstable…hypnotically.  Soft footsteps padded rhythmically in front of her across the menacing row of pitch-black bars, somber and vexed; the usual limber weighted down by a heavy burden.  It was anxious; it was subconscious; it was protective.  When his face caught the light occasionally, Pan saw that it was two shades paler than usual.  Before another thought could enter her head, her eyelids closed heavily and she fell into a deep slumber.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            It was dark when Pan reopened her eyes in the morning.  At first she was confused by her situation.  When her brain began to function again, she slowly recalled the misadventures of the previous day.  Her heart sank, greatly saddened by her current circumstances.

            Something was definitely different today; she couldn't quite figure out what.  As she tried to stand up, her feet got tangled up in something and something slid down her shoulders.  She shivered as the blast of frosty air hit her once again.  Looking down, Pan found her feet nested in a blanket.  It was a gloomy gray but very warm.  She grabbed it and wrapped it securely back around her shoulders.  Hmm…a real wool blanket…  Her head snapped up suddenly as she realized that it was suspiciously quiet.  Then she found out why.  She was all alone in the jail cell.  Grandpa Goku was gone.

A/N: I am so sorry for how long it's taken me to get this chapter out!  It's been almost three whole months since my last update!  It's late and EQAO starts tomorrow, and I am too lazy to edit.  I am declaring right here, right now that the grammar is _really_ screwed up.  No complaints about that please.  Thank you so much for putting up with me, and _PLEASE_ review, as always.

I have taken this out of Action/Adventure, so for now it's just Angst.  I am really not all that interested in writing action.  If there's a secondary genre that you think this should go into, please let me know.  


	10. Family Ties

A/N: Hi!  *waves to audience*  So what's new with you guys?  *silence*  Right…okay…  *clears throat*  I'll let myself out…

So sorry for the long wait you guys!  I've been busy and had no inspiration to write.  I'm having some problems at school, and who knows how long it'll take to solve?  Just one tip for all of you: Do not start rumours; do not spread rumours.  You might place people like me in not-so-good positions.

Of course, I got writing again as soon as I saw reviews coming in…

Disclaimer: I forgot to do one of these last chapter…oops!  Anyway, I do not own DB/Z/GT.  Are we good now?

Family Ties 

            She was engulfed in ice, and slowly sinking, sinking…until her knees hit the ground hard, jolting her back to reality.  She felt her stomach flip as the world spun around and around.  She felt dizzy, and nauseous, but her skin was so numb.  She laid in a heap on the icy plane and shivered endlessly.  She shivered, and shivered…she couldn't stop shivering…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Do you know where you are?" a notorious voice sneered down at him.

            Goku opened his eyes to the disturbing voice.  He could see nothing but pitch black.  He blinked a few times and allowed his eyes to adjust to the dimness of the room.

            "No…" he replied drowsily.  His mind was enveloped in a layer of fog that ceased to lift.

            A round of mocking laughter drifted through the room, surrounding him every-which-way.  A sudden wave of pounding pain in his head shocked him awake.  He gasped, upon seeing the sea of smirking faces floating atop of him, faces of violent souls who will never release him from his prison.

            "That's okay," the same voice that'd spoken to him previously spoke again.  "You do not need to know anything until after the Lord is through with you."

            Panic filled Goku's eyes.  What is that supposed to mean?  Is Lord Ice set on killing him?  If he is, Goku can't think of anything he'd ever done to aggravate him.  In fact, he'd never even heard of that name until the day before.  He observed his surroundings, and noticed medical cabinets littered with tools.  He himself is lying on top of an operating table.  

            A doctor emerged from the crowd of saiyans, one Goku remembered through his recovered memories.  He's the benign one who had much faith that Kakarott would become almighty and powerful someday.  Now an evil glint shone in his eyes, as he advanced towards Goku with a syringe in hand.  The syringe contained a viscous, purple fluid.

            Goku felt terror rising up his chest, as his heart pounded wildly.  He tried to move away from the man, but he couldn't.  He wasn't confined with any restraints, yet his own body felt so heavy that he could barely turn his head.

            The doctor approached Goku and clamped a hand tightly around his neck, cutting off his air supply.  With his other hand, he slowly pushed the needle into his neck and injected the substance into a vein.  Goku's eyes began to water, as his lungs screamed painfully for air and the ice-cold fluid flowed thickly through him. 

            Red splashed over the ceiling, and gradually darkened into a somber black.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Pan slowly straightened up into a sitting position, as the flames on the wall seemed to brighten suddenly.  She sighed; the whole dungeon felt empty with the exception of herself.  She stuck her cold hands into her pockets for warmth, and came across something small and hard.  Surprised, she carefully lifted out the mysterious object, and stared speechlessly, lips quivering, at the familiar capsule containing her beloved viola.

Pan stood and straightened up professionally.  She delicately tucked the instrument under her chin and ran the bow across the strings.  To her surprise, it was perfectly in tune.  She played, clueless as to what, but she played on relying on muscle memory.  She played to her heart's desire, pouring her soul into her beautiful music, attempting to release the pain and confusion gathered up inside of her for so long.  Gradually, slow as a snail's pace, an atmosphere of calmness began to envelope her.  She would have played on for infinity, until the end of time, her mind secluded to staring blankly at her own two hands and bathing in the comfort of liberation.  No distractions, no people, no things.  She would have, if not for the disturbing feeling that she is no longer alone in her cage.  She halted and allowed her bow to slide off the strings and onto the floor with a resounding clang.  At the corner of the cell, Pan saw someone by the door.  Their eyes collided. 

"Hi," the figure spoke quietly and politely.  "I am Cereida." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_…take me back…please take me back…_

_…I will do anything…_

_…no I won't…_

_…but I want to go back now…please…_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Wh…who?" Pan stuttered, her heart flipped, taken by this woman's beauty and her gentle voice.

            "Cereida," the woman repeated.  "I work here."

            Cereida was clad in old, dirty rags, yet her shiny hair hangs down her back in a long, black braid.  Her face looked tired yet gorgeous; she reminded Pan of Cinderella.  Her features held a genuine smile, and Pan could receive friendly vibes from her.  And then there are her eyes…large coal-black eyes with long lashes which mirrored her own precisely…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "The drug is taking effect."

            "He should be out for another hour or so."

            "Alright then.  Let's report to Lord Ice right way."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            Pan gulped nervously; her heart skipped a beat.  'Her gaze is so intense…like she can see right through me.'  She swallowed uneasily.

            "Are you okay, honey?" Cereida asked with concern.  "I haven't heard such a beautiful sound in a long time, but your music was soulfully depressing.  I suppose if music truly reflects the musician's soul, you must be really upset about something."

            It's been quite a while since someone had been nice to her, which in a way fueled her frustration even more.  A bitter, humourless smile slowly formed on her lips.

            "You got that right," Pan commented in a fashion which complimented her expression.  "But hey," she continued, "You can't expect someone to be content with everything."  She tilted her head upwards, their eyes meeting once again.  "Perhaps some of us would prefer to stay on her home planet, instead of being kidnapped by aliens into the amidst of space."  She laughed dryly; Pan was a little more than hysterical now.  "This is just so funny!  I mean, I don't know why I'm here.  I certainly don't have a clue where here is.  I don't even remember how I got here!  This is all just so crazy, fit for my adventurous style!  I'm having the time of my life!"  Pan threw her head back and laughed riotously, totally out of control.

            "I've got your point, girl," Cereida said simply and calmly.  Then she moved from her spot at the doorway to Pan's side.  She extended her arms and wrapped Pan in a warm hug.  "Please allow me help you," she offered kindly.  Pan didn't even look up; couldn't look up to see the sympathy in the woman's gentle eyes.  Instead, she sobbed quietly, burying her face in the woman's shoulder.  It was bad enough that she had displayed such an open case of weakness, but her only audience had to reach forward and help her out.  She wanted to fight; expected a fight, a chance to feel the delightful rush of adrenaline rushing through her veins.  But she gave in, and melted in the compassion.  It made her feel more desperate and powerless than before, fully insecured, but in a way, it felt really nice.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "The saiyan named Kakarott is ready for takeover, Sire."

            "Very well then.  We'll begin first thing tomorrow morning."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Cereida," began the tentative question, "are you a saiyan?  You have a tail and all, but you don't dress like one.  And you certainly don't act like one either."

            A mild chuckle.  "Yes, I am saiyijin.  And you have to understand, child, that although we can be ruthless at times, we are generally kind people, just like you humans."

            "I'm not sure I understand…"

            "That's okay.  I know it's confusing.  Let's just say that Lord Ice destroyed the saiyan moral and reigned our race, just like Freiza had once done.  It's kind of like…déjà vu of a saiyan past.  Except Lord Ice is using his powers to actually control the minds of the saiyans, while Freiza earned loyalty from us.  I'm not sure what happened.  The last thing I remember before all this is a loud exploding noise and really bright lights.  Then, the next thing I know, we were perfectly fine and everything was back to normal.  But when I walked outside, I realized that the whole scenery had changed dramatically.  All of our homes, streets, and facilities were gone.  In fact, the only building which existed was a gigantic castle, the one I walked out of.  Before, the King's castle was the only one around, and it looked nothing like this one.  And outside, there used to be daylight and vegetation.  Now the whole planet is smothered in darkness, and the ground is nothing but rocky, crumbly pebbles.  But you know what's worse?  All the men have turned against us, including our king.  They've all became loyal subjects of Lord Ice.  Meanwhile, none of the women believed in him and failed to convince the men of their true identity.  Lord Ice gathered up all of the saiyan women, and smugly told us that the saiyan race had died and been resurrected.  He had taken control over all the men, and said that women are good for nothing but cooking, cleaning, and all the work servants are good for…that's what he made us into…servants for him and the rest of the 'eligible' saiyans."

            "My name is Pan," Pan spoke up in a small voice.  "It's a pleasure meeting you."

            Cereida was distracted from her moment of angsty recollections.  "What?  Oh, Pan, that's your name…sorry…" she shook her head, "I didn't mean to go on a rampage like that.  It's just that, well, I'm just as angry as you are.  If Lord Ice asked for you to be brought here, it can't be good news.  I'm going to help you get out of here, whether he likes it or not."

            Pan sat and considered the generous offer.  "You know," she began, "I don't usually trust people that much.  But I feel like you're telling me the truth.  So yes, please help me, and I'll see what I can do for you, though it probably won't be much.  We're sort of in the same boat here."

            Cereida smiled.  "Glad to.  Us 'servants' don't have to work unless we're called on to.  In my spare time, I'll see what I can do for you.  Actually, I have some free time right now.  But first, may I please see your instrument?"

            Hesitantly, Pan handed over her precious viola.  'You have to trust her.  You have to trust her.' a little voice chanted in her head.

            The little voice was right.  As Cereida looked at the instrument, a sad smile slowly crept across her beautiful face.  "I feel as though I've seen this before, and heard it too, but I can't quite put my finger on it…  You know what's really strange?  I can feel this positive energy running through the viola…it's drawing me closer to him…"

            "Him?" Pan probed, curious.

            "Someone I've been searching for for a very long time.  Someone I've only seen and held once before he was taken from me."  Cereida shook her head and welcomed the relief as a painful memory glided past and vanished.  "But that's not important.  I need to know exactly what happened to you.  Perhaps then we will learn what their intentions are regarding you."

            "Well," Pan scrutinized over her recent memories.  So much has happened in such a short time…  "I remember having a really stupid argument with my grandpa, then bolting from my house.  He found me later and insisted that we hide right away, no questions asked.  We ended up arguing some more, until these two goons, Radditz and Bardock, showed up with an unconscious Vegeta.  A struggle of some sort took place, and the next thing I know, I was sailing for a new planet in a space pod."

            Cereida's eyes saturated with sorrow.  "I'm sorry about what those two did to you.  They really didn't mean to.  It's all because of Lord Ice and his mind-invading potentials."

            "I hope this Lord Ice dies soon," Pan said matter-of-factly.  "I bet he knows where grandpa is," she continued with revived determination.  "I'm going to make him tell no matter what it takes."

            "They didn't kidnap just you?"

            "No," Pan replied.  "They also had the prince and my grandpa.  He's a kid now, but that's a long story which Radditz insisted he knew all about."

            Cereida looked at Pan strangely, acutely interested and attention sharply focused.  "Tell me more about your grandpa."

            "Ok…he's the other saiyan living on Earth besides Vegeta.  I suppose that makes him one of the last remaining saiyans to be collected.  His name is Son Goku, but Vegeta told us that his real name is actually Kakarott."

            "Kakarott," Cereida gasped, her expression a blend of surprise, joy, and dread.  "Lord Ice's captured my son Kakarott."

A/N: YEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!!!!!!!  I finished another chapter!!!  Woo-hoo!!!  Sorry people.  This one took slightly shorter than the last one.  Still, a good 3 months.  As previously mentioned, I had my reasons.  In my defense, I tried to write a few _anything_ (words, sentences, etc.) every time I turned on the computer, which was like once a week at the most.  Eventually the sentences did build up, and here we are!  End of chapter 10.  Unfortunately, I'm sad to say that the quality is gradually dwindling…

            Does anyone, _anyone_ at all know the name of Goku's mom?  I don't think it was ever mentioned, but I saw this name going around in several stories by different authors.  If anyone knows anything, if let me know so I can correct it.  For now, I'll just keep on using Cereida.  

            I was trying to write longer chapters in hopes of completing the story in 20 chapters or less.  Don't think that'll be happening.  By the way, the next chappie should take even longer, because I'm not exactly sure where this is going, aka I have no clue.  Thank you so much for putting up with me, and for your nice reviews!  Keep'em com'in!!!

~Angelfish369 ^-^   


End file.
